Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-08

nurtured in cOnvuisive disorder and appren-
tfced in advance TO agitating godfathers, from
the beginning it has made the storm a
shelter" The misbegotteu offspring OF Buster
and Alarm, with the horoscope OF hard case,
the only wonder is that it has not been DIS
banded and arrested as the active accomp Ice
of tumult and commotion against the peace ana
welfare of the State. But if, since coming to lis
majority, il has made the best of bad anIeced-
ents and has repudiated rot and riot, IL should
not be too harshly judged. II, in obedience TO
the laws of its existence, it has done what IL
should not have done. and left undone what II
should have DONE it is the fault OF its designing
miscreators and censors, who have never qls-
paired of sending it off on fools errand. But
TO give it the most blameless and beneficial
mission possible, we have heretofore recon-
mended the advisory functions common 10 most
other Commissions and their best excuse for
existence.
REASONS FOR IGNORING RECOMMENDATIONS.
1t is well. perhaps, that our recommendations
have not been noticed. If they have been 1g-
nored. in Difference to the very general opinion,
that those engaged in the various useful cailngs
oflife, and seyerally minding their own business,
can and do manage it better than the State, or
any of its political agents, we heartily concur.
That the unsolicited recommendations OF super
numeraries in any business are not worth
begears thanks has doub less occurred to many
VINO have never been favored with official inter
ference in their own affairs, and even the most
cowardly conseryators of the general prlnclpie
and rule of law which attaches to ownership
agency which comes and goes at their own DID,
ding, and in the service of all, the logic OF
rights which are their only safeguards, Hence
the questions which are always left open by the
genius of republican institutions and the logic
of existing laws. Why subject the corporations
and individuals "owning and operating rail-
roads" to the damaging interference which mas
been voted and kicked out of all other business
Why impose upon them within the scope OF
their charters. and in addition to penalties OF
damage and forfeiture for negligence and abuse,
under general laws, the mandatory dlctation OF
unquestioned authority, deemed by const1tu-
tional presumption "conelusively just and rea-
sonable."
1t is a contradiction in terms, and therefore
no answer, to say that as common carriers, by
exclusion from their class, they become the
rightful thralls of arbitrary control. To rest
the damaging distinction against them upon the
comparative magnitude and Importance OF
their business, would be to acknowledge q
fraud upon the business and upon all concerned
in t. And again, the oyerdrawn claims OF po-
litieal bankrups. on the public use of railroads,
has not been in this State TO promote such use,
but to make 1t the SpellWOrd OF SpOilSmen, the
open sesame of the Forty Thieves" For this
they have conspired and clamored without
ceasing; and if they have failed to convert a
public trust into private and partisan use it Is
not their fault For this they have wrested the
control OF all the railroads in this State first
from their owners and then from this Commits
sion. For this they would have taken the Com
mission into their foul conspiracies and made it
mands. For this, and because it would not be
used by them, it has been abused and belied.
For this purpose 1t was quite unnecessary to
couple with its free pass over all the railroads
of the State any of the usual advisory powers
and duties, which are confesSedy the best fea-
ture of other Commissions. For, this but one
menacing and do nineering power, backed by
the bravado and license of highWaymen, was at
all requisite.
In the power of the Constitution to revise,
change and slash systematic and complicated
averages and adjustments of fares and freights,
was found q convenient weapon with which to
cover and command the wayfaring railroad
companies and in the constitutional presump-
ton that whatever is, is right and shall be
deemed 'conclusively just and reasonable
was found the protecting shield and buckler of
the highwayman.
THE COMMISSION BELEAGUERED.
Thus the Commission, as if it had been made
to their order, and for their purposes has been
beleaguered by selEconstituted dictators. Their
contemplated use of it has been too eager. and
evident to be disguised Every law relating to
its organization and functions turns and i'm
pinges upon the coveted revenues and treas
uries of corporations and individuals operating
railroads. and certain water craft engaged in
domestic commerce. II it ever had any other
function or mission on earth than that of pub
lie and corporate Inconvenience as traffic man
ager, 1t was to go about exclaiming, with absurd
Joseph Prudhomme: The car of the State floats
on a precipicei" To keep up appearances as
traffic manager, and do small business OF their
own on the large capital of others, its preposter
Gus dictators have, from time to time formulated
demands for uniform reductions of fares and
ireights always assuming that railroads should
be run for all the world I" as the crow flies,
regardless of grades and curvatures, of popula-
ton and production, of class, value and dlrec
ton of freight, of competition. development
and all factors and conditions of railroad serv-
ice. save and except distance alone. In the
collateral role of Joseph Prudhomme, while
fooling and being fooled, as a friend of the
90
conscientious, consistent and popular. must
keep the imperiled "car of the State" floating
high and dry on precipice, and is expected to
take such pertunctOry cognizance of national
subsidies, railroad tax-suits, railroad problems,
railroad monopolies, corporation methods, CO.
lossal fortunes, real reforms and of such other
Incompatible stramash as will make him,
Without dispute,
Through all the realms of nonsense, absolute .
THE EUROPEAN PROTOTYPE.
Such is the Railroad Commission of California,
with its mandatory power for one mistaken pur-
pose, constantly tending to something worse.
That the offensive weapon conferred upon ii has
fallen into conservative hands is not enough.
1t is the symbol of irresponsible power. and a
peTnicious inducement to its exercise in utter
disregard of the public good Thus Commits
sion which came in a questionable shape has
10 none of its foroidding and sinister aspects.
From the sandot toiCampahella' City of the
sun it has but one prototype, and that is the
SteIu OI JedlOuS duu oppressive
espionage by which European despots size
down their subjects and supervise their private
affairs. It came to this country in the bad COM
pany of its communistic wards, and is not com
mended to republican adoption or natural
iZation by its alien ideals With ITS minute
qualifications, red tape and Ioutine, it has been
and is the seourge and curse of counfies where
unfortunately for them, ii is more at home than
in this broad land of free industrial opportu-
mites and possibilities. To them. and not to
proud and sentimental California, belong the
guilty maXims that the king can dono wrong
aud that right or wrong, the acts of his bureau
cratic emissaries are " conclusively just and
reasonable.
That such a system is as foreign to the genius
and principles OF government in this country as
the superannuated old monarchies of which il
is the characteristic and suoseryient adjunct
would seem to go for granted. And as a sys-
TEN of railroad management 1t is on trial even
in Europe, where, by reason OF its long ana re-
pressiVe sutferanee, 1t iiaS no self-made suOsti-
tutes of the enterprising and seltreliant Ameri-
can type. On contraSted systems of Government
and private roads, with local influences and ad-
yantsges always il favor of the former, ii has
lost favor by experimental comparison with
corporate control. And the weight of well-in-
formed opinion on both sides of the ocean is de-
cidedly against it, aud is also largely opposed to
Government interference with private roads.
Condensng what might be expanded into q
book we commend the conclusion arrived at,
after recent investigation in Italy, by Com
miss on appointed for that purpose, as follows :;
sible than Il private corporation"
In Belgium recent Parliamentary discussion
relating to governmental railroads, under the
most favorable conditions for successful expert
ment disclosed the inevitable tendency of po-
liteal influence in their management One
member stated and denounced certain railroad
regulations, which were, be said, established by
political influence and that alone" Another,
confirming the statement eptomizeS the expe-
rience of the world. wherever subject to the
same influences, as follows I" The members
themselves are constantly urged IN that direc-
tion-besought, pledged or forced by those who
will made those things party weapon
IN BRITISH INDIA.
The experience of little economizing Belgium
will serve as au example for that of Western Eu-
rope on a much larger scale. 1t illustrates the
beauties OF bureaucratic railrOading, so enchant-
ing to placemen everywhere. No men know
better than they that influences and interests
of paramount importance will predominant in
railroads which they did not build and could
run only to ruin by the spoils system of man
agement ofsuch paramount importance to them.
If they do not have it by virtue of state owner
ship as in most European countries, then
bureaucratic management is the medium
through which they offer their valuable services.
as in California. And OF this, rs contradistin-
guished from corporate or individual control,
there are warning examples too numerous for
reference In British India, side by sid= there are
Government roads, subject TO bureaucI attic and
guaranteed private roads subject to corporate
control. Between them a late number of the
Indian Rdillndy S.Trlce GQzete makes al exhaust
i've comparison running through every branch
of railway service. 1t clearly and forUibly ex-
hibits the hard and fast procedure of the
bureaucratic system" with its stereotyped
equal mileage rates and statecraft, but g no